“Recycling is a complex process and is not particularly efficient in terms of energy and natural resource consumption,” says Courtney Gallaher, an associate professor in the NIU Department of Geographic and Atmospheric Sciences and the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality. “Many of our recyclable products are not recycled in the ways...

When was the last time you stopped and looked at the night sky just to marvel at the wonders of space? When have you taken a moment to dig into mysterious subjects like dark matter or learn about the latest space explorations from NASA? The next STEM Café, presented by NIU STEAM, is your opportunity...

In National Book Award Winner M.T. Anderson’s latest satirical novel, Landscape with Invisible Hand, humans are invited to participate in a galactic economy but struggle to adjust to a market run by aliens and ruined by alien technology. Anderson’s books, such as Landscape, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing and Feed, often use humor and...

Every time we use the internet, we leave a trail of information behind. At the next STEM Café, NIU marketing instructor Alex Eddy will discuss where we’re leaving our digital footprints, who’s using our personal data and what they’re doing with it. The talk will take place Wednesday, June 14, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m....

Want to be healthier, contribute to lower pollution and stimulate the local economy? Eating locally grown food can help you do all three! At the next STEM Café, “Our Daily Spread: Local Farms, Community Gardens and Access to Healthy Food,” local experts will discuss the promises and challenges of today’s local food movement. The free...

Is it possible to be too clean? At the next STEM Café, “Getting Dirty: How Bacteria Impact and Improve Human Health,” NIU Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Sherine Elsawa will discuss germs, the immune system, and the impact of our near-constant soaping, scrubbing and sanitizing. The free event will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 18,...

At the next STEM Café, “Market Morph,” two NIU experts will explore the recent boom in the “sharing economy,” in which businesses help private individuals rent each other’s houses, cars and other assets. The free, public talk and discussion will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Eduardo’s Mexican Restaurant,...

Pop quiz time, baseball fans: What makes curveballs curve? Do knuckleballs really flutter, as the announcers say? Do “rising fastballs” really rise? At the next NIU STEM Café, “Batter Up! The Physics of Baseball,” NIU particle physicist Dr. Jahred Adelman will answer these questions and more, exploring how Newton’s Laws of Motion illuminate aspects of...

Don’t miss the astronomical light show of the year! Join NIU STEM Outreach Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Bliss Creek Golf Course in Sugar Grove for “Star Gazing,” a STEM Café event devoted to the dazzling Perseid meteor shower. The free event starts at 6:30 p.m with a buffet of pizza, pasta, salad and soft...

Is the day coming when knowledge of the genetics behind human diseases will point the way to cures? At the next STEM Café – “The Human Blueprint” – NIU associate professor of biology Rick Johns will explore the latest scientific understanding of how genes relate to medical conditions. Johns then will describe the challenge of...

Imagine getting lost in your own home or neighborhood. Imagine feeling disoriented, unsure of where you are or how you got there. For individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders or trauma – and more Americans than ever are diagnosed with these conditions each year – this “spatial disorientation” can be a daily occurrence and...